Marley & Me [DVD] [Checkpoint; Sensormatic; Widescreen]

The filmmakers behind THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA take on another bestseller in the family film MARLEY AND ME. Based on the hit memoir by John Grogan, MARLEY AND ME chronicles the relationship of John (Owen Wilson) and Jen (Jennifer Aniston) as they face the challenges of marriage and work to start a family. By their side is their beloved dog, Marley, who can chew through drywall, got kicked out of obedience school, and never met a leg he didn't like. The cute pup's antics come to signify the unexpected challenges that everyone faces in adulthood, and the film is ultimately a paean to unconditional love; others may see Marley as the "world's worst dog," but throughout it all, he proves to be the couple's most faithful friend.

MARLEY AND ME plays like a modern day Norman Rockwell portrait with a little more bite, courtesy of the snark-friendly screenwriters and the title's wild mutt. The sets are sumptuous, with every shot lovingly lit to look like a Hallmark card. The winning lead performances help elevate the picture above its feel-good counterparts; Aniston is radiant and Wilson shows off sharp dramatic chops, giving some maturity to his loveable comedic persona. Alan Arkin gives a scene-stealing performance as Wilson's boss, and Kathleen Turner proves to be a great sport with her physically demanding cameo as Marley's obedience instructor. But in the end the picture belongs to the dogs, and for once that's a good thing. A film that keeps the audience cooing, cracking up, and crying, MARLEY AND ME is sure to become a family favorite.

"Wilson has the right combination of easygoing likability....Perfectly suited for the whole family."USA Today

"[T]here's an ease between Wilson and Aniston from the first frame..."Los Angeles Times

3 stars out of 4 -- "Wilson and Aniston demonstrate why they are gifted comic actors. They have a relationship that's not too sitcomish, not too sentimental, mostly smart and realistic."Chicago Sun-Times

4 stars out of 5 -- "[L]ovingly brought to the screen with broad humor and big tears....Families looking for an old-fashioned, all-purpose, comedy with heart will flock to this offering that's best described as a canine TERMS OF ENDEARMENT."Box Office

"[T]he single most endearing and authentic movie about the human-canine connection in decades....It's also something more: a disarmingly enjoyable, wholehearted comic vision of the happy messiness of family life." -- Grade: A-Entertainment Weekly

"Wilson and Aniston nicely convey a compatible, loving couple who enjoy the challenges of parenthood....MARLEY & ME is a warm and fuzzy family movie..."Hollywood Reporter

3 stars out of 5 -- "[O]nly the hardest heart will fail to summon a lump in the throat the size of a golf ball, shed a furtive tear and leave the cinema wanting to rub the ears of the first man's best friend they can find."Total Film